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The Nurburgring is a favourite testing ground for many manufacturers, and there's always a publicity fight between carmakers as to who has made the fastest sportscar or sedan lap around what they call, the "Green Hell" which is regarded as so dangerous that open-wheel racing hasn't taken place there for decades.

Setting a time of 7 minutes and 56.234 seconds, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Cupe Electric Drive is the first production electric vehicle to lap the famous track in under 8 minutes.

Mercedes says the record-taking car is identical to the series production version, which will launch later this month. The all-wheel-drive electric SLS is the most powerful AMG high-performance car, with four electric motors developing a total output of 552kW (750 horespower) and 1000Nm for all four wheels.

The car accelerates from 0 to 100kmh in 3.9 seconds and can reach an electronically limited top speed of 250kmh.

Unlike a petrol engine, the build- up of torque is instantaneous with electric motors - maximum torque is effectively available from standstill.

The spontaneous torque build- up and immense power delivery without any interruption in traction is combined with completely vibration-free motor running characteristics.

It's also very, very quiet as the video on YouTube of the lap shows.

The record time of the SLS AMG Coupe Electric Drive has been certified, two weeks after the first overall win for the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 in the Nurburgring 24 Hours.